Berkheya angustifolia

Berkheya angustifolia is a sprawling shrublet that grows to 60 cm in rocky ravines and on outcrops in arid fynbos and scrub. It resprouts after fire. The leaves are spiny. The specific name of angustifolia (Latin) indicates that the leaves are narrow; 2 cm long and 0,5 cm wide. The leaves have spiny marginal teeth.

The flowerheads have both yellow ray flowers as well as disc flowers. The ray flowers are sterile, the disc flowers fertile. The picture shows the several rows of long spiny involucral bracts. Flowering time is winter and early spring for this species.

The distribution in the Swartberg and Outeniqua Mountains continues eastwards to the Eastern Cape. There are 71 species of Berkheya in South Africa and only four more elsewhere in Africa to complete the genus (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984).